by Tina Leonard
His smirk widened. Mackenzie stared at him, wondering if the man might be an idiot. She was two seconds from slamming the door when he sighed.
“I’m an old man, Mackenzie.”
“That sounds like a personal problem to me.”
He laughed. “Indeed. But old men like to build kingdoms.”
“All well and good, but not my problem.” She glanced over her shoulder, wondering if she’d heard something. One ear stayed cocked to listen for the babies. In her arms, Hope stayed very still, gazing out into the sunlight, which tall Mr. Donovan mostly obscured. “Can you get to your point?”
“I’ll send all four of your daughters to private colleges or university, and pay twice the offer I made you on your property, if you agree to sell it to me by September.”
“This September,” Mackenzie said flatly. “Less than thirty days.”
He nodded. “I’ll buy all your equipment, horses and so on. And I’ll buy whatever house in town you would like, in your name, if you’re out before the end of September.”
She’d been wanting to sell, hadn’t she? Said she would? It was a generous offer, more generous than any she’d ever get for the Hanging H most likely. “What makes you think the Hanging H is for sale?”
“I heard in town you’re not interested in reopening your family’s business and that you’ve got your hands too full to run the place. Noticed you’ve hired on new hands.” Robert shrugged. “Wanted to see if I could help you out. As you may know, I’m a generous man where Bridesmaids Creek is concerned. I try to be very civic-minded.”
“If you’re so generous, why didn’t you make me this offer instead of roping my ex into a deal with you?”
Robert smiled. “Actually, Mr. Fields contacted me on the matter.”
Mackenzie’s body tightened to perfect stillness. Hope bobbed a little in her arm. “It was Tommy’s idea to file the lawsuit?”
The big man shrugged. “I generally prefer to work things out in person. Mr. Fields seemed to believe that as you’d parted on poor terms, as I believe he put it, the professionalism of legal papers would be a better instrument to conduct business.”
That rat bastard. No scruples at all at trying to take his own daughters’ inheritance.
“Mr. Donovan, the Hanging H isn’t for sale. I’m not overwhelmed, contrary to what you might have heard.” Mackenzie took a deep breath. “You’re not the only one who likes to help out Bridesmaids Creek. My family spent many years building up this town, as you know, even though you only came here when Daisy was what? Two, three years old?”
Robert Donovan hated to be reminded that he wasn’t born and bred BC, despised knowing that the town still considered him an outsider in spite of his money and the weight he liked to throw around.
“Daisy and Suz were in class together,” Mackenzie said. “I remember it well when she came to the haunted house that year. She was afraid of the puppets, and one of the chickens pecked her finger and made her cry. City girls don’t see that many chickens, of course, and she didn’t know not to pull its feathers. But she’s grown up a lot since then.” Mackenzie kissed the top of Hope’s head. “I do appreciate you stopping by and discussing your offer in person.” She shook her head. “But if I were you, Mr. Donovan, I’d avoid doing business with Tommy Fields. No matter what he tells you, I’m difficult to deal with on any terms, whether legal instruments or face-to-face.”
He looked frozen, not certain how to proceed.
She took another deep breath. “And the Haunted H will be open for business by October, so you’re welcome to spread that news all over Bridesmaids Creek.”
Mackenzie closed the door and walked into the kitchen, where she knew Justin would be sitting.
“I knew it was you I heard,” she said. “Eavesdrop much?”
“I eavesdrop a lot, particularly when black Bentleys pull into your drive.” Justin grinned. “Opening the Haunted H, huh?” He reached out to take Hope from her, snuggled her in his arms. “Your childhood just changed, sugar. You’re going to grow up with a mother who runs a haunted house. How cool is that?”
Mackenzie shook her head and went to check on the other babies.
Cool? He had no idea.
Chapter Twelve
“I don’t know what got into me, but I know it’s the right thing to do, if all of you believe it’s a good idea to bring the Haunted H back,” Mackenzie told the people gathered in her kitchen. “I realized that this ranch isn’t just mine—it’s Bridesmaids Creek’s, too. A lot of people have happy memories of this place, and I want my daughters to share those, as well as your children and grandchildren.”
She pushed away the only bad memory she had of the Hanging H and looked at Frog, Sam, Squint, Suz, Jade, Betty and plenty of other townspeople who had showed up for the meeting.
“We’ll all help,” Jane Chatham said. “Let’s open on a Sunday night, when our shops and diners are closed in town, so we can all be here. I, for one, look forward to celebrating the grand opening!”
“Good idea,” Madame Matchmaker said. “Let’s start small, get our feet wet. Not overpromise at first. It took your parents years to get the Haunted H built up to being the best children’s harvest fun around.”
“Agreed. Good idea.” Mackenzie nodded. Suz grinned, delighted by Mackenzie’s change of heart, and waved Haven’s fist at her mother. Justin held Hope, Monsieur Matchmaker had Heather tucked into his arms and, for some reason Frog had ended up with Holly. Since Frog was wedged in as tight to Suz as he could get, maybe it wasn’t all that surprising he’d ended up with a baby.
“What about the dead man?” Daisy’s voice called from the back. “No report was ever filed on how he died. How do we know that doesn’t happen again? It was a real black eye on Bridesmaids Creek, and we don’t want another, bigger, black eye.”
The room went deathly silent. A dark cloud seemed to rush past Mackenzie’s eyes. “Why would anyone else die here?”
“We never knew what killed him. Could have been food poisoning. Could have been murder,” Robert Donovan said.
Since she’d opened the meeting to anyone in BC who might be interested in learning more about the Haunted H reopening, Mackenzie wasn’t all that shocked that the Donovans had showed up. Justin winked at her, fortifying her resolve.
“Food inspections are done routinely. It wasn’t food poisoning.”
“I’ll say it wasn’t!” Jane Chatham hopped to her feet. “Since my restaurant provides fifty percent of the food that comes to the haunted house, I sure hope you’re not accusing me, Daisy Donovan!”
“Nor my cooking,” Betty Harper said. “If Jane does half, I’m sure I contributed around twenty percent. Most of my ingredients are organic or grown by me and prepared by me.” She stared around the room. “There’s not a person in this room who has ever complained of food problems from my cooking!”
“Someone killed him,” Robert said, throwing his weight around as usual. “And it didn’t take too much digging to find out that the cause of death was undetermined on the death certificate.”
“How would you know?” Sheriff Dennis McAdams said. “Death certificates can only be ordered by the family. Cause of death is private.”
Robert sniffed. “Reporters dug that information up, Sheriff. Be fair. You’ve been covering for the Hawthornes long enough.”
Mackenzie frowned. “Excuse me, no one covers for the Hawthornes. We pull our own around here.”
“You’re just mad,” Suz piped up, “because we won’t sell to you. Isn’t that harassment or something, Sheriff?”
“There’s probably a good case for it.” Sheriff McAdams looked unimpressed by the Donovans’ claim. “That man who died here was an out-of-towner, an unfortunate soul with no kin to claim him. The autopsy revealed nothing. Not sure what you’re working at, Robert.
”
“Just saying that there was a stain on this place ever since that day, and everybody here knows it.” Robert sat down, pleased with the trouble he’d caused.
“Anyway,” Mackenzie said, refusing to let him get to her. “I want to open this to a vote. No one has to like the idea or participate. I’m doing this for my daughters, but if our town doesn’t like the idea, if it no longer fits the needs of Bridesmaids Creek, I’m just as happy to be simply a mother and not the owner of an amusement park.”
“All in?” Sheriff McAdams asked, and all hands went up but the Donovans’ and their cronies’.
“Fine, fine. We’re back in business, friends,” Sheriff Dennis exclaimed.
Mackenzie met Justin’s gaze, startled to see him smiling at her as he’d abstained from the vote. She’d expected that—he wasn’t from here, and no matter what he said, he might not stay—but she felt his support, and it warmed her.
After the guests left, Justin waved and headed out the back door, as well. She hated to see him leave as she peeked out the window at him. Watched Daisy accost him, doing her best to crack his armor. Justin shook his head at her before he headed into the bunkhouse.
Daisy turned around, catching Mackenzie spying on her. Daisy glared and Mackenzie waved cheerfully, then went to check on her babies, still smiling.
* * *
JUSTIN WALKED INTO the bunkhouse, his mind completely on the meeting that had just been conducted and the warmth he’d realized the town felt for Mackenzie and Suz. Favored daughters, for sure.
He’d never been a favored son, so seeing it in real life made him a little wistful for the family situation he didn’t feel that he’d ever had—except for rodeo. Rodeo had been a different kind of family, but it had been all he’d had. It had sufficed.
Ty walked into the bunkhouse, slapped him on the back. “Mooning?”
“Have you ever known me to moon?” Justin demanded, returning the greeting. “Why are you here again?”
“BC is my home. You know that. I came to check on the boys.” He glanced around. “Where is everyone?”
“Off working or finding trouble.” Justin didn’t really care. Sam, Squint and Frog had proved themselves able and hard workers. He didn’t keep too close an eye on them.
“So you’re happy with them.”
He shrugged. “Sure. I don’t think Mackenzie would have reopened the Haunted H without them being here.”
Ty nodded. Grabbed himself a beer out of the fridge. “I’ve got a message to pass along from your family.”
“Why?” Justin barely glanced his way. “Can’t they call my cell?”
“It was just an offhand thing. I was out there doing some horse trading—”
“Stirring up trouble.”
Ty shrugged. “I did need a new horse. And your father and brothers have the best around.”
“I don’t know anything about that.”
“Yeah, you do. You can’t go on being the rebel forever.”
“Sure I can, if being a rebel means staying away from a place where you’re not really wanted.”
“Yeah, about that.” Ty took a long drink of his beer. “Your dad’s not doing too good. He didn’t say it, but I think he wishes your mother would at least take a phone call from him.”
“Can’t help you much, old buddy.”
“Justin, it’s your dad. If you went home, you could set a lot right.”
Justin fell into the nicely worn leather sofa, eyeing his friend. “Look, you brought me here. This was all your idea.”
“Yeah, because Mackenzie needed help, and you needed a job. You were never going to rodeo again.”
That stung more than it should have. “I’m twenty-seven. You don’t know what might happen.” He knew exactly what was going to happen. His knee injury was severe enough that surgery might fix it, but there’d be no guarantees of how stable it would be. He’d never rodeo again.
“But getting you on here wasn’t a way to keep you away from your family. Now that you’re not rodeoing anymore, they’d like to see you.”
“You mean now that they’ve forgiven me for not staying to work the family business?” Justin shook his head. “I’m fine here.” He wasn’t about to leave Mackenzie and the babies just because his father had decided he finally wanted to acknowledge the prodigal son.
“You might think about it. No one is getting any younger, and you’re not exactly barking up Mackenzie’s tree. Believe me—I had high hopes on that,” Ty said with a sigh. “But things would have happened between you by now if it was meant to be.”
“Wait a minute.” Justin glared at him. “You don’t know that nothing’s happened.”
“Suz says it hasn’t.”
Great. Chatty little sis. “Let me worry about my personal life, okay? One thing has nothing to do with the other.”
“Okay.” Ty gave a melodramatic sigh. “Are you sure you’re not bothered by the age thing?”
Justin blinked. “What age thing?”
“You know.” Ty waved a hand in grandiose fashion. “You’re twenty-seven. Mackenzie’s thirty. She’s already got four kids and you might want one yourself and she may have had enough of pregnancy.”
“You’re riding down a ridiculous road right now, bud.”
“It all weighs on a man, I’m sure.”
“I’m fine,” Justin growled. “The reason nothing’s happened is because the woman has plenty on her plate. Why do you think she’s looking for a husband? To be honest, that seems like the last thing she wants.”
“You have to change her mind.”
“No, I don’t,” Justin said. “And you seriously need to butt out.”
“All right,” Ty said. “Don’t say I never tried to help.”
“There’s help and then there’s being freaking annoying.”
Ty laughed. “So, Daisy and Frog, huh?”
“I doubt it very seriously. The lady in question is hot to trot for any man who may look her way. And if I didn’t know better, I’d think Frog has eyes for Suz. But what do I know? I’m a cowboy, not Madame Matchmaker.” He perked up. “I still think she’d be unhappy if she knew you were operating solo on this gig.”
Ty laughed. “I have my marching orders from Madame Matchmaker—believe me.”
Justin studied his friend. “Are you saying the two of you are working together?”
“You haven’t been in BC long enough to know how things work, but this town is a team, old buddy. And once you’re in the team’s crosshairs, you’re probably going down. Loner, rebel, family issues, financially independent, moody,” Ty ticked off. “Then there’s hardworking, determined, stubborn, good friend, loyal, daredevil. Catnip around here.”
“BC’s matchmaking is nothing more than coincidental. No more real than Jane Chatham’s fortune-telling.” Justin laughed. “Or that business about ladies swimming in Bridesmaids Creek and finding their soul mate.”
“Okay, that one’s a stretch. It’s really just a charity function. But we like to see the gals in their bathing suits. And the week before it happens, we get everybody together to clean up the creek and we test the water. It serves many purposes, so don’t critique our ways.”
“I’m not.” Justin held up a hand. “Just trying to figure out why BC runs so much on lucky charms and rabbits’ feet.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.” Ty went to the door. “Be sure to call your father and brothers at some point. They’re ready to hear from you.”
He wasn’t ready to hear from them.
“Do you know Suz is out there sucking face with Frog?” Ty suddenly whispered.
“I don’t care.”
He slapped Ty on the back, a brotherly pat, hardly anything at all. Ty coughed and said something about friends shouldn’t damag
e other friend’s lungs. Shaking his head, Justin went outside, where he saw Mackenzie loading the van with her babies.
He strode to help her, lifting the carriers into the van, securing seat belts, tucking in blankets. Holly and Haven writhed around, not happy to be stuffed in a car seat and placed backward; Heather looked around at whatever she could focus on. Hope fell right asleep, unconcerned.
“An outing for the girls?” Justin asked.
“Yes. I’ve taken the idea under advisement that I need to secure my paperwork for my daughters’ future.” She looked at him. “Now that we’ve definitely decided to stay.”
“I was glad to hear you say it in the meeting.” Relieved had been more like it. He couldn’t bear the thought of this little family heading off without him, because it was for sure that wherever they went, they wouldn’t need a foreman.
Which meant he had some thinking to do. Justin looked at Mackenzie. Her eyes were on him, and all he could think of was how badly he wanted to kiss her.
So he did.
Gently, softly, he kissed Mackenzie’s lips, kissing her again and again when he felt her lips moving against his, seeking the same response he was looking for.
Then, to his disappointment, Mackenzie turned away. “I have to go, Justin.”
After getting in the car, she switched it on, looked at him one last time and drove away.
She was fighting it hard. That was clear.
But why?
Chapter Thirteen
“We hear that handsome cowboy is living with you,” Jane Chatham said after helping her settle the babies in The Wedding Diner. They sat in a quadruple row of darling, and Mackenzie couldn’t believe they had a father who wanted to take everything away from them. “Of course, I told everyone that wasn’t true,” Jane continued.
Mackenzie stared at Jane, stunned. “Why would people think that?”
“Probably because he’s a hunk with your name written all over him. Maybe they’re hoping for a wedding in this town.” Jane smiled. “Most likely, folks want you to be happy. Everyone knows Tommy’s been giving you a rough road.”